RUH Update: Riyadh Passengers Flown to Al Qassim, Then Bused Four Hours

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — October 22, 2026 — Update to our October 21 report. With King Khalid International Airport still under restrictions, Saudia and Riyadh Air are now flying some disrupted Riyadh passengers into Al Qassim, more than four hours away by road, and busing them to the capital.

What changed in the past 24 hours

Flights to Al Qassim plus a bus: Aerospace Global News reports that Saudia and Riyadh Air are flying passengers into Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport near Buraydah, about 375 km from Riyadh by road. A free bus takes them on to Riyadh. It is included in the ticket and needs no separate booking. Depending on traffic, the ride takes four to five hours.
Riyadh Air special flights on October 22 (local times, from Wego flight information published October 21; subject to change):
- RX9532 from Madrid-Barajas, 10:00
- RX9854 from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, 15:45
- RX9404 from London Heathrow, 18:25
Not a return to normal: Riyadh Air says these flights are not a restart of its regular Riyadh schedule, and it has not said when that will resume (TBA). It is letting affected passengers rebook eligible trips without a change fee or take a refund.
Other reroutings: Saudia has also moved some passengers through Dammam and Jeddah, and flynas has adjusted its domestic network. Dammam’s airport was attacked late on October 21 (see our separate Dammam story).
Conflicting status reports: Gulf News says limited domestic flights by Saudia and flynas are running at Riyadh with prior approval, while the US advisory says Riyadh operations “remain suspended.”

Rules still in force at Riyadh

Notice	What it does	In effect
NOTAM A3650/26	Operators must get GACA permission before landing at or departing Riyadh	From October 17; end date TBA
NOTAM A3651/26	Airlines may not use Riyadh as a planned diversion airport	From October 17; end date TBA

Airline changes in the latest lists

These entries in Gulf News’s October 22 list add to or differ from our October 21 table:

flydubai: Riyadh cancelled on October 22.
Air France: Riyadh suspended through October 24, according to Gulf News.
Cebu Pacific: Riyadh cancelled through October 31.
Air Arabia: Sharjah–Riyadh cancelled on October 22.
Scoot: Singapore–Jeddah cancelled through December 2.

The rest of the list is unchanged from yesterday: British Airways is due back on November 3 with one daily flight, Lufthansa Group is off Riyadh through November 18, KLM through October 31, Etihad and Qatar Airways through October 24, and Cathay Pacific through January 31, 2027.

What it means for travelers

A Riyadh trip may now mean a long bus ride. If you are booked on Saudia or Riyadh Air to Riyadh, you could land at Al Qassim. Allow four to five extra hours to reach the city.
The special flights are likely to be full. Riyadh Air’s one-off flights from London, Madrid and Bangkok are carrying passengers whose trips were disrupted, so expect very few open seats.
Rerouting through Dammam is riskier after the attack there. Jeddah is now the more dependable alternative gateway, but flights there are busy too.
Check right before you leave. Every Riyadh flight still needs GACA approval, and the official reports disagree, so confirm your specific flight with the airline before heading to the airport.
Carry on. Flight-plus-bus journeys add hand-offs where a checked bag can go astray.